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Thousands of people in major cities across the world will unite today for a 24-hour hackathon to force the pace of our ability to respond to climate change on a global scale.

More than 100 cities in 44 countries across 6 continents will host Climathon. Organised by Climate-KIC, the EU supported initiative for climate innovation, Climathon brings together the challenges of the world’s cities with the people who have the passion and ability to meet them.

Innovators and entrepreneurs in cities such as London, Berlin and Melbourne will work around the clock on innovative solutions to climate challenges in their cities such as major flooding, extreme heat, air pollution and waste management.

Challenges addressed by participants in Europe include London‘s future of mobility, Helsinki‘s circular economy needs and the air quality strategy in Warsaw. Other cities registered to participate in the Climathon include Wellington, Bogota, Hong Kong and Moscow. Check out the overview for the full list of cities.

A mainstage event in Tallinn, Estonia will act as a connection point for all Climathon events running across the globe. As a central hub, the mainstage will help highlight the global collaboration and climate action that takes place. Climathon’s global hackathon is a COP23 endorsed event, with the Tallinn main stage supported by the Estonian Ministry of Environment, and an official EU Presidency activity.

Climathon 2017 will be officially opened from Tallinn by Siim Kiisler, Estonia’s Minister of the Environment and the current president of the EU Environment Council.

Says Siim Kiisler, Minister of the Environment, Estonia: “During the EU presidency Estonia focuses on a low-carbon climate-friendly circular economy. The achievement of this goal will be assisted by the implementation of the climate agreement via different legislations as well as by eco-innovation. Now it is time to spread some ideas and develop real solutions to reduce climate-related risks. I look forward seeing the innovative solutions coming out of the Climathon challenges and encourage all innovators around the world to use this opportunity to help solve your city’s local climate challenge, and make your city more resilient to climate change.”

The goal of the global Climathon hackathon is to bring together the challenges of the world’s cities with the people who have the passion and ability to solve them.

Climate-KIC organised the first Climathon in 2015, in the run up to the historic climate negotiations in Paris. Since its inception, the global movement has grown rapidly and Climathon 2017 is now set to be the biggest international climate change hackathon in world history. In 2016, 59 cities took part in the worldwide hack, more than doubling the number of participating cities in 2015. Climathon 2016 created over 2330 ideas and reached 16.8 million online, with events taking place across all six continents.

“It has been incredibly inspiring to see the Climathon movement and the momentum for global climate action grow so rapidly. The Climathon hackathon encourages big thinkers, innovators and entrepreneurs to take on the climate action challenge, but the Climathon movement doesn’t stop come 28 October” said Dr Kirsten Dunlop, Climate-KIC CEO.